A 'ghost bus' is being exorcised by the government following pressure from transport user groups.
The bus, run by the Department for Transport and costing £500 a day, had replaced replace a scrapped rail service.
It came under fire after watchdogs said running the bus, which travelled once a week from Ealing Broadway to south London, allowed ministers to dodge a consultation on the service.
And it received further criticism amid accusations it was not advertised anywhere at the station and regularly runs without passengers.
But now the government has done a U-turn and announced that it will bring back a train to replace the bus.
Earlier this month, Ealing Passenger Transport User Group sent representatives to ride the service in a story covered by the Gazette.
John Beeston, honorary chairman of the group, said: "I'm pleased the publicity given by the Gazette has brought this about.
"What I would like the DfT to do now is ensure that information regarding the train will appear in official timetables and on journey planning websites.
"Otherwise, instead of an empty bus you will simply have an empty train."
Jon Ball, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Ealing Central and Acton, also made the trip to south London a few weeks back.
He said: "If the government have backed down then it shows what effect a bit of exposure can have on an issue like this."
Until December 14, Crosscountry ran two trains a day between Birmingham and Brighton via Ealing Broadway and sections of track in west London.
The bus took a 70-minute journey via Kensington Olympia before terminating in Wandsworth Road and making the return trip.
A spokesman for the Department for Transport said: "We always intended to replace this temporary rail replacement bus with a train service.
"We are currently working to establish the most appropriate and cost effective level of service for the route, and decide when the bus service will be replaced."
